Use a screen reader to fix Bluetooth problems in Windows

Make sure Bluetooth is turned on

In Windows 11, there are two ways to check if Bluetooth is on: the quick settings on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen or the computer Settings.

Turn on the Swift Pair pairing mode

Turn on Swift Pair to easily connect to supported devices when they are close and in pairing mode.

1. Press the Windows logo key+I to open the computer Settings. You hear: "Settings window, search box."

2. Press the Tab key once, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Bluetooth and devices," and then press Enter.

3. Press the Tab key until you hear "Devices," and then press Enter.

4. Press the Tab key until you hear "Devices settings, show notifications to connect using Swift Pair, toggle switch, off," and then press Spacebar to select.

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Make sure the airplane mode is off

1. On your computer, press the Windows logo key+T. The focus moves to the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. You hear "Taskbar pane," followed by the name of the app shortcut in focus.

2. Press the Tab key until you hear "Show hidden icons," then press the Right arrow key until you hear "Network," "Volume speakers," or "Power battery status," and then press Spacebar to select. You hear: "Quick settings window."

3. Press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear: "Airplane mode, button, off." If you hear "Airplane mode, button, on," press Spacebar to turn off the airplane mode.

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Remove the Bluetooth device and pair it again

1. Press the Windows logo key+I to open the computer Settings. You hear: "Settings window, search box."

2. Press the Tab key once, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Bluetooth and devices," and then press Enter.

3. Press the Tab key until you hear "Devices," and then press Enter.

4. Press the Tab key until you hear the device category you want, for example, "Input," "Audio," or "Other devices," and then press the Down arrow key until you hear the device you want to remove.

5. When the focus is on the right device, press the Tab key once. You hear: "More options." Press Enter to select. You hear "Pop-up window," followed by the first option in the list. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear "Remove device," and then press Enter.

6. You're prompted to confirm the removal. The focus is on the Yes button. To confirm, press Enter.

7. Pair the device again. For instructions refer to Use a screen reader to pair a Bluetooth device in Windows.

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Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter

1. Press the Windows logo key+I to open the computer Settings. You hear: "Settings window, search box."

2. Press the Tab key once. You hear: "System." Press Enter.

3. Press the Tab key until you hear "Display," press the Down arrow key until you hear "Troubleshoot," and then press Enter.

4. Press the Tab key until you hear "Other troubleshooters," and then press Enter. The focus is on the most frequently used troubleshooters. Do one of the following:

   • Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Bluetooth," and then press the Tab key once.

   • If you don't find Bluetooth among the frequently used troubleshooters, press the Tab key until you hear "Other," followed by the first troubleshooter in the list. Use the Down and Up arrow keys to browse the list. When you hear "Bluetooth," press the Tab key once.

5. You hear: "Run." Press Enter to select. The troubleshooter wizard starts. When the troubleshooter has finished, you hear: "Yes, button." The focus is on the button to confirm that the issues have been fixed. Do one of the following:

   • To confirm that the troubleshooter was successful, press Enter. You hear: "Close the troubleshooter." Press Enter to select.

   • If the troubleshooter didn't fix your Bluetooth issue, press Shift+Tab until you hear "No," and then press Enter. Follow the prompts in the troubleshooter wizard window. When you're ready, press the Tab key until you hear "Close the troubleshooter," and then press Enter to select.

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Make sure you have the latest drivers

An outdated or incompatible driver is one of the most common causes of Bluetooth connection problems. If you recently upgraded to Windows 11 or installed Windows 11 updates, the current driver might have been designed for an earlier version of Windows. You can automatically check for and install driver updates or install the Bluetooth driver manually.

Uninstall the Bluetooth adapter in Device Manager

If the Bluetooth icon is missing, but Bluetooth does appear in Device Manager, try uninstalling the Bluetooth adapter. Then shut down your computer and turn it back on to trigger an automatic reinstall.

1. Press the Windows logo key. Type Device manager, press the Down or Up arrow key until you hear "Device manager, control panel," and then press Enter.

2. In Device Manager, press the Tab key once, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Bluetooth," and then press the Right arrow key once to expand the menu.

3. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the name of the Bluetooth adapter, and then press Shift+F10 or the Windows Menu key to open the context menu.

4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Uninstall device," and then press Enter. You're prompted to confirm the uninstallation. Press the Tab key until you hear "Uninstall," and then press Enter.

5. Shut down your computer. Wait a few seconds, and then turn your computer back on. Windows will try to reinstall the driver.

6. If Windows doesn't reinstall the driver automatically, scan your system for hardware changes as follows:

   1. Press the Windows logo key. Type Device manager, press the Down or Up arrow key until you hear "Device manager, control panel," and then press Enter.

   2. In Device Manager, press Alt+A to open the Action menu. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Scan for hardware changes," and then press Enter.

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Keyboard, mouse, or pen

• If you’re prompted to enter a PIN to use your device, but you don’t know the PIN, try the following:

  • Check the device’s documentation for a PIN or look for one on the device itself.

  • Try entering 0000 or 1234.

• If you’re prompted to enter a PIN, but you can't find a place to enter one on your computer screen, type 0000 on your Bluetooth keyboard, and then press Enter.

• Try to remove the device, then pair it again. Your device might be paired, but not connected—Bluetooth keyboards, mice, and pens connect only when necessary. For instructions on how to remove a device, refer to Remove the Bluetooth device and pair it again. For instructions on how to pair a device again, refer to Use a screen reader to pair a Bluetooth device in Windows.

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Audio

If you’re having problems connecting a Bluetooth audio device, hearing sound from the device, or the audio quality is poor, try the following:

• Make sure the audio device is within range of your computer.

• Check that the audio is playing through the Bluetooth device.

• If the Bluetooth device is displayed as paired, but you can’t hear the audio, check that your Bluetooth device is connected.

• Try pausing other things that might be using Bluetooth, such as file-sharing over Bluetooth. For more info, refer to Fix sound or audio problems in Windows.

• Remove the Bluetooth device, and then pair it again. For instructions on how to remove a device, refer to Remove the Bluetooth device and pair it again. For instructions on how to pair a device again, refer to Use a screen reader to pair a Bluetooth device in Windows.

File sharing, phones, motion controllers, fitness trackers

• File sharing:

  • Try using nearby sharing. To learn more about nearby sharing, refer to Share things with nearby devices in Windows.

  • Make sure Bluetooth is turned on for both the sending and receiving device. For more info, refer to Send files over Bluetooth in Windows.

• Phones:

  • The PIN should appear on your phone screen or computer screen. Check that the correct PIN is displayed on both devices.

• Motion controllers:

  • To find instructions on how to troubleshoot problems with Bluetooth connected motion controllers, refer to Motion controllers in Windows Mixed Reality.

• Fitness trackers:

  • To find instructions on how to troubleshoot problems with Bluetooth connected fitness trackers, refer to your device manufacturer’s instructions.

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